The field of invention relates generally to generating electricity and, more particularly, to a method and a system for generating electricity for powering wayside devices along a railroad track.
Many known railroad systems employ a variety of wayside equipment alongside the railroad tracks. Such wayside equipment may include equipment for use in determining location of the rolling stock, equipment for use in signaling to an operator and/or nearby pedestrians, equipment for use in inspecting equipment, cargo, and/or the surrounding environment, and equipment for use in switching converging tracks. Within a network, railroad tracks often span rural and unpopulated areas, and as such, providing power to wayside equipment in remote locations may be a challenging and costly task. At least some known railroad systems run power lines into remote areas to power wayside equipment. However, depending on the location, such power systems may be expensive to install and to maintain.